'He is a real character': Mikel Arteta heaps praise on Arsenal attacker after West Ham draw

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Martin Odegaard following the 3-3 comeback draw against West Ham United in the Premier League.

The Gunners produced a poor performance in the opening half against the Hammers and they were 3-0 down after just 32 minutes on the clock.

They managed to reduce the deficit to 3-1 before the break after an Alexandre Lacazette strike was deflected into the net by Tomas Soucek.

In the second half, they managed to secure the unlikely comeback with an own goal from Craig Dawson before Lacazette's headed equaliser.

Odegaard was pivotal in the lead-up to each of those goals and Arteta described his performance against the Hammers as 'incredible'.

He told Arsenal.com: "I think he had an incredible performance, he was very intelligent the way he read the game, the way he effected the game and again he showed how much he wants to win."

"He commands the pressing and he's been really influential. I think we are all happily surprised because he looks shy and humble but when he steps on that pitch, he is a real character. He loves to play football."

The Real Madrid loanee made a slow beginning to his Gunners career, but he has recently excelled with a string of top-class performances.

The Gunners are aiming to extend his loan deal or sign him permanently this summer and only time will tell whether that will happen.